Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Roxy
I put my hands on my hips and swivel. A smile threatens to form on my face as I look at my bookstore. It’s actually looking like a bookstore. I have a tablet set up for payment. There are books on the shelves. Tables sit throughout the store with more books, T-shirts, bookmarks, stickers, and other merchandise. The pale pink walls, antique chandeliers, and floral theme make my threatening smile emerge despite all my jitters about my upcoming soft opening.
“It looks great,” Jocelyn says from beside me as she stands up next to the bookshelf she was organizing.
“It does. We just need to finish the reading nook, the book club area, and that selfie area,” I state as I mentally tick off items in my head.
“Sooo…” Jocelyn says as she follows my gaze around the room. “Are we still planning a soft opening for a week from Monday?”
I nod slowly because it feels like pulling off a bandage on a wound that may or may not be completely healed. I’ve dreamed of this for years. My obsession with romance books started when I was fifteen and spent two weeks at my grandmother’s house. I found her old romance books and devoured them. Then, I’d sneak off to the bookstore or the library and find more. My siblings are all overachievers. I was not. So while they were winning awards and sports games, I was curled up with my books. It sort of became my entire personality. While my brother and sisters began doing amazing things with their adult lives, I floundered. Sure, I went to college, but then I couldn’t figure out what to do. I felt paralyzed. I took odd jobs that paid minimum wage. I dated all the wrong men for all the wrong reasons. And the final blow was when my ex cheated on me. I knew my life trajectory was going in the wrong direction as I had loaded my boxes into my car following our breakup and then into my old childhood bedroom. There was no way I wanted to continue down this path, but I felt stuck.
Until my grandmother died. God, that was awful. But somehow, through all of it, I survived.
And then I learned about my inheritance. It was way more than I ever thought possible. And so, I started to dream big. Hell, I started to dream period. I hadn’t done that in years. One night while going through a box of books, I had this idea. It was only an idea, but soon it grew bigger like a flame being stoked. I had no clue if I could pull it off, but here I am. Standing inside my dream next to my employee. Holy shitballs! I did it. I just hope I can make it work. I’m not sure I can survive my dream being crushed.
“Yep. It’s time to double up on our social media posts. I’m not changing the date now. We’re doing this,” I state as there’s a knock at the door.
Walking over to it, I open the door to find Al standing there.
He looks past me and smiles. “Edith, my wife, would love this. It’s beautiful,” he says before focusing back on me. He had mentioned her before and I learned that it was her antique store that was in here before I leased the space. It makes my heart hurt for Al. And it makes me feel silly for being upset about my cheating ex when Al has lost the love of his life.
I blush. “Thanks, Al. It’s coming together,” I reply as I smile at him.
“Well, it looks great. Are you still opening in another week or so?” he asks.
“Yep. Our soft launch is a week from Monday. I’ll send out emails tomorrow.” I curse myself for not sending them last week, but it’s been crazy and most of the people I’m inviting already know the soft opening date.
“I’ll make sure to be here,” he says. We’re both quiet for a beat and I wonder if he just stopped by to check on the store.
“I have a favor to ask,” he says, breaking the silence.
“Oh?” I ask as my brows furrow in confusion. What favor could he possibly have?
“I overheard you telling Carly you were looking to date,” he starts. OK, where the hell is this going? “I have a friend who needs a date to a party but doesn’t know anyone who can attend with him. Would you be interested in going on a blind date?”
I’ve never been on a blind date. My entire dating life has been swiping right or being matched on some app on my phone and then hesitantly messaging the person until one of us asks to meet in person in a public venue. Shit, that doesn’t sound very romantic when I think of it like that.
“I…uh, who is it?” I ask.
He blinks at me as if he hasn’t heard, and just when I go ask again, he speaks. “Just a friend. He’s about your age.”
I want to ask why Al has friends my age, but then again, he does seem friendly with everyone in the building, hell, in the neighborhood. Maybe it’s someone who lives somewhere else on Hearts Lane?
“Just one date?” I ask.
“Just the one. I mean, unless you all want to go on another date,” he stresses.
I contemplate this for a minute. Al seems like a great guy. I don’t think he’d set me up with someone who was a bad person. Part of me hesitates to say yes because life is so chaotic right now, but a bigger part of me says fuck it, let’s do this.
“OK,” I reply slowly because I’m still not one hundred percent sure of my decision.
He smiles broadly and I see all his teeth beneath his bushy, white mustache.
“Great. I’ll let him know. Now, it’s Tuesday at six at this bar not far from here called Joe’s Tavern. Wear a red dress, OK? And your date will have a three-piece suit with a red pocket square. He’ll be at the bar.”
“Uh, OK. Red dress, got it. Anything else I should know?” I ask because now I want to know everything. Like, who is this guy? What does he do for a living? Is he cute?
“Nope. That should do it,” he says. He goes to leave but pauses and looks back over his shoulder at me.
“Just keep an open mind,” he adds, but before I can ask why, he opens the door and leaves me standing there with more questions than answers.
I turn and look at Jocelyn, who is standing with her mouth open. “Did you just get set up on a blind date?” she asks.
I shrug. “I think so?”
“Dude, you need to use this for social media. Like seriously, have our new followers weigh in on it,” she suggests. It’s not a horrible idea. I’ve been building a few social media accounts for months now. I’ve had some signed book giveaways and even did a fun book box two months ago. I started having virtual monthly book club meetings after I signed the lease on the store. I don’t have a ton of followers, but I have a fair amount.
So I walk over to my phone, open the video app, and press record after I sort out my hair and refresh my lipstick.
“Hey, romance readers. I have a hot question for you. Would you go on a blind date? I’ve just been set up on one and I need your thoughts. Drop your answers in the comments,” I say before I smile and stop recording. Then I upload it to all the accounts and wait. What will people say? Are they going to think I’m an idiot?
“Let’s get this wall finished,” Jocelyn suggests, pulling me away from my thoughts. We work together to get a fun floral backdrop set up with a neon sign that says, Happily Ever Afters Do Come True. I set up a cute camera that prints out little photos next to it if you don’t want a selfie. When we finish, I smile at the setup. It’s really adorable and it looks great.
“OK, I have to admit, I love this,” I say. Jocelyn nods and then frowns as she lifts her phone from her pocket.
“Uh, boss, where’s your phone?” she asks.
Now, I’m frowning. Where is my phone? Oh, on the desk. I walk over and pick it up and my jaw falls open. We have hundreds of new followers, and my notifications are blowing up. I scroll through them. People are responding to my video. They are asking for details and telling me to go on the date. People are posting about their blind dates.
“Wow,” I manage.
“Yeah, nice post. But you’ll need more like this if we’re going to get to that coveted ten-thousand-followers number,” Jocelyn says.
“Shit, well, I didn’t really think that would happen. But I guess there’s no turning back now,” I say with a laugh, although internally I’m screaming with both terror and excitement. I’m not just putting my store out there, I’m putting myself out there. I set the phone down.
“Now what?” I ask.
“He said a red dress, right?” she asks.
I nod.
“Well, then, I think we need to go red dress shopping. And your new followers can weigh in on the dress options.”
“But what does that have to do with books?” I ask.
She frowns and then runs to a few shelves and pulls off books, setting them down in front of me. They are all covers where the female lead is wearing a red dress. “You can hold up books while trying on dresses and then ask if you should be more like…” She pauses and reads the blurb on the back. “Camila or…” She looks at another book. “Ashley.”
“I sort of love that idea,” I grumble.
She laughs. “Damn, don’t be so excited.”
I giggle. “Sorry, that’s bitchy of me. I just wish I could come up with ideas like that.”
“Well, your great idea was hiring me,” she says as she points to herself.
“Yeah, that was a pretty great idea,” I agree. “Now, let’s go dress shopping,” I add.
She looks around us. “Now? Like, right now? But we aren’t done yet.”
I wave a hand. “We can finish tomorrow.” Right now, I need a hot dress for this mystery date. Who knows? Maybe my follower flowersforever111 is right. They wrote: I met the love of my life on a blind date. You never know.
That’s true. I never know. But I’m definitely about to find out.